REST(表示状态传输)是一种用于创建WebServices的体系结构。

and

RESTful是一种使用REST体系结构编写服务的方式。RESTful服务公开资源，以识别与客户机交互的目标。

REST是一种用于分布式软件的软件体系结构

遵循REST约束被称为“RESTful”。

如今，它被广泛用于构建web服务，作为SOAP的替代方案。

这里有一些链接需要检查

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Representational_State_Transfer http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/297424/Representational_State_Transfer_REST_ http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/webservices/library/ws-restful/

具象状态传输(REST)是软件体系结构的一种风格。正如Roy Fielding在一篇论文中描述的那样，REST是一种“架构风格”，基本上利用了现有的Web技术和协议。

RESTful通常用于指实现这种体系结构的web服务。

把REST看作一个体系结构“类”，而RESTful是该类的众所周知的“实例”。

请注意“”;这里我们不是在处理“真正的”编程对象。

基于REST的服务称为“REST式服务”。

来源:多布斯博士档案

REST stands for representational state transfer. That means that state itself is not transferred but a mere representation of it is. The most common example is a pure HTML server based app (no javascript). The browser knows nothing about the application itself but through links and resources, the server is able transfer the state of the application to the browser. Where a button would normally change a state variable (e.g. page open) in a regular windows application, in the browser you have a link that represents such a state change.

这个想法就是使用超媒体。也许还能创造出新的超媒体类型。我们可以用javascript/AJAX扩展浏览器，并创建新的自定义超媒体类型。这样我们就有了一个真正的REST应用程序。

This is my short version of what REST stands for, the problem is that it is hard to implement. I personally say RESTful, when I want to make reference to the REST principles but I know I am not really implementing the whole concept of REST. We don't really say SOAPful, because you either use SOAP or not. I think most people don't do REST the way it was envisioned by it's creator Roy Fielding, we actually implement RESTful or RESTlike architectures. You can see his dissertation, and you will find the REST acronym but not the word RESTful.